Pterosthetops hawequas Perkins 2008

Bilton, David T., 2014, New species and new records of Pterosthetops: eumadicolous water beetles of the South African Cape (Coleoptera, Hydraenidae), Zootaxa 3811 (4), pp. 438-462 : 458

Pterosthetops hawequas Perkins 2008

Described from a single male from Hawequas , close to Du Toit’s Kloof Pass in the southwest of the Weastern Cape. New records show that this species is actually widespread in the Western Cape, its known range now extending from Franschhoek Pass, north to the edge of the Great Escarpment at Vanrhyns Pass ( Fig. 6 C). Often the most abundant species of the genus, particularly on seepages with flocculated clay deposits (e.g. at Middelberg pass, Fig. 6 A). All additional records from rock faces below springs.

Additional records: September 2002 Western Cape, Cederberg, seepages on rock beside R364 ca. 20 km E of Clanwilliam— 3 ♂; September 2002 Western Cape, Mitchell’s Pass nr. Ceres, seepages over rock— 1 ♂, 2♀; September 2002 Western Cape, Bainskloof Pass above Wellington, seepages over rock beside RXX road on north side of pass— 1 ♂; 26/ix/2008 Western Cape, Du Toitskloof Pass, wet rock face— 1 ♂; 25/ix/2009 Western Cape, Franschhoek Pass, wet rock faces beside R45 road ( Fig. 6 B)— 4 ♂, 4 ♀; 20/ix/2010 Western Cape, Middelberg Pass, seepages over rock with algae on R303 road above Blinkwater ( Fig. 6 A)— 2 ♂, 4 ♀; 21/ix/2010 Western Cape, Cederberg, Uitkyk Pass, seepages over rock face beside road ( Fig. 5 C); 23/ix/2011 Western Cape, Cederberg, seepages over exposed rock @ 1,200 m, below Wolfberg Arch, beside Matjiesrivier-Wupperthal road ( Fig. 5 A)—1 ♀; 24/ix/2012 Western Cape, Cederberg, Uitkyk Pass, seepages over rock face beside road at top of pass ( Fig. 7 B & C); 3/x/2013 Western Cape, Cederberg, wet rock face in permanent spring below Wolfberg Cracks—abundant; 18/ix/2010 Northern Cape, Vanrhyns Pass, seepage on rock face along R27 road ( Fig. 6 C)—abundant; 27/ix/2011 Northern Cape, 1 km E. of Vanrhyns Pass, seepage on almost horizontal sandstone beside temporary pond—abundant. Distribution Fig. 8 .

Figures

FIGURE 5. Habitats of Pterosthetops species. A) Cederberg, seepage over sloping rock beside stream @ 1,200 m below Wolfberg Arch, beside Matjiesrivier-Wupperthal road— P. coriaceus sp. nov., P. hawequas, P. impressus; B) Witzenberg, Michell’s Pass, wet rock face along R 46 road - P. baini sp. nov., P. hawequas, P. impressus (arrow indicates larva of Aspidytes niobe Ribera, Beutel, Balke & Vogler, 2002); C) Cederberg, Uitkyk Pass, seepages over rock face beside road— P. harrisoni, P. hawequas, P. impressus, P. pulcherrimus sp. nov., P. tuberculatus sp. nov., P. uitkyki sp. nov.; D) Table Mountain, seepage over rock in Echo Valley— P. equestrius, P. impressus. Photos D T & R Bilton.

FIGURE 6. Habitats of Pterosthetops species. A) Middelberg Pass, seepages over rock with algae on R 303 road above Blinkwater— P. hawequas, P. tuberculatus sp. nov.; B) Franschhoekpas, 500 m wet rock face formed by stream beside R 45 road— P. hawequas, P. impressus, P. tuberculatus sp. nov.; C) View along Great Escarpment from Vanrhyns Pass— P. hawequas was abundant on seep below tree at bottom left of photo. Photos D T Bilton.

FIGURE 7. Habitats of Pterosthetops species. A) Swartberg, seepage on sloping rock face beside R 328 road, north of Swartberg Pass, 2 km N of junction with Gamkaskloof road— P. br i nc k i, P. swartbergensis sp. nov. Seepage dry, January 2014; B) Cederberg, seepage at top of Uitkyk pass— P. hawequas, P. tuberculatus sp. nov. C) Cederberg, view from summit of Uitkyk Pass. Photos D T Bilton & A Foggo.

FIGURE 8. Distribution of Pterosthetops species in the Western Cape: red symbols P. br i nc k i, green symbols P. equestrius, yellow symbols P. hawequas, white symbols P. indwei sp. nov., blue symbol P. swartbergensis sp. nov. Basemap source: ESri, GigitalGlobe, GeoEye, i-cubed, USDA, USGS, AEX, Getmapping, Aerogrid, IGN, IGP, Swisstopo and the GIS User Community.